


Seven Kingdoms of America

by Anaklusmos14



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-24
Updated: 2013-09-26
Packaged: 2017-12-27 12:49:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/979110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anaklusmos14/pseuds/Anaklusmos14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the war with the Titans, Zeus becomes worried about the gods' ability to protect their power. In response, he convinces the gods to turn back the clocks, stripping mankind of all advances it had made in since the days of Ancient Greece. The world is a primitive and violent place now. Demigods are forced to serve Olympus. All demigods except one. Percy Jackson. AU of post TLO.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Seven years had passed since anyone had seen Perseus Jackson. His parting words had left little doubts in the minds of the gods and demigods of his feelings towards them and whole life of being a demigod. It still ran through the minds of almost all gods and demigods often. That was because it happened right before the change.

The change in which the entire world turned back the clocks a couple millennia, when Zeus decided the power of man had gone too far. When he began to fear that the advances of man put his control over the world in danger.

Part of it may have been the lingering fear after coming so close to being destroyed by his father but regardless of his reasons, he acted like a lord of time and sent mankind back to ancient times. Sure the year was still 2013 but in the blink of an eye, or so it seemed to those not in the loop, the world's cities were demolished. Millions upon millions of mortals were killed and the minds of the surviving mortals were wiped and altered so any memories of the modern age were all forgotten.

His idea was not well favored by his brethren on the Olympian Council but he used his influence over his children to sway enough votes for the decision to go his way. While the idea may have been his, Zeus was not the only one to blame. It took hundreds of gods, both major and minor to implement the change. In the minds of the few who remembered, mostly demigods who had their lives and families taken from them, all the gods were to blame.

Now, while the world was bigger and more populated, all of Earth was part of ancient Greece. And just like in Ancient Greece, it was splintered into city-states where little peace lasted between each other. The power of the gods remained in America but instead of fifty states, it was broken into seven kingdoms, each with their own kings and queens and their own armies. They were also kingdoms in both Canada and Mexico but their power was not to the level of those in America.

Each kingdom spoke their own languages and had their own customs. Slavery was prevalent within the kingdoms as monarchy's thrived using the free labor of the slaves they captured from other parts of the world. The only thing that linked the kingdoms together was their worshipping of the Olympian Gods.

With such a profound increase in worship, the gods of Olympus were more powerful than they had ever been before. And with this increase in power, a thirst for more power over both mortals and immortals broke out. The council of the gods splintered.

While the council never broke up, the meetings were not commonplace. Poseidon rarely left his domain in the seas while others such as Artemis decided they would do their own thing. The Goddess of the Hunt rarely returned to Olympus and spent her time, even more than previously, with her hunters.

Apollo and Hermes spent most of their time in the mortal world hooking up with random women, though they were careful not to produce too many demigods.

The reason?

Camp Half-Blood was not what it once was.

Zeus decided the children of the gods were now expected to serve as the Army of Olympus. Things were strict and militaristic. Dionysus was long since dismissed while the duty fell to Ares, the God of War. He removed all kinds of fun and leisurely activities and forced the demigods to focus on their training. The Titans may of fallen but Zeus demanded Olympus be better defended against the next threat that came their way.

Demigods did not have freedom in this new world. They were a part of the Olympian Army and that is where they stayed until the day they died. Some of the demigods thrived in this new militaristic lifestyle but there were many who despised their imprisonment by the gods, even if it wasn't technically called imprisonment. Ares said anyone was free to leave his camp when they wanted. But when a few attempted to do so, they never made it to the nearest village or city alive.

And that is how the world changed for everyone in it in a short period of time of only a couple years. The world was a simpler place for both mortals and immortals alike. The one thing that Olympus did not control was Perseus Jackson.

The day Olympus prevailed against the Titan Kronos was the last day anyone had seen Percy Jackson, including his own father who he had been told by his son that their familial relationship was severed as that the sea god was more than welcome to strip his son of his demigod abilities.

The memories of the events on Olympus were still fresh in the minds of every person who had witnessed them seven years earlier.

(Flashback)

Twelve Olympian gods and goddesses stormed into the throne room on Olympus expecting to battle the Titan Lord Kronos as he attempted to destroy their seats of powers. What they found was not what they expected though.

Percy Jackson had his sword buried to the hilt in the side of Luke Castellan who was hosting the Titan Lord Kronos.

Annabeth Chase lay motionless on the floor, the scythe of Kronos in the form of a sword still sticking out her chest.

The gods were frozen as they watched the young son of Poseidon bring his face inches from that of the Titan was gasping for breath.

"Pray your essence is so scattered you're never able to form cognitive thoughts again because if I so much as hear a whisper of you starting to reform, I will jump into Tartarus myself and finish the job."

The Titan opened his mouth to respond when Percy's free hand came down and drove Annabeth's dagger threw the top of his head. The Titan's body glowed brightly before an explosion blasted Percy off his feet and into the feet of the gods who was covering their eyes to shield them from the blast.

When the explosion was over Luke Castellan lay bleeding to death on the floor of the throne room. His eyes drifted over to Annabeth's dead body as tears formed in his eyes.

Percy noticed this and climbed to his feet, Riptide still griped tightly in his hand as he approached the weeping traitor demigod.

Luke looked up at Percy unable to hide the guilt and shame he was feeling.

"Percy, I… I couldn't stop him." Luke said shakily.

Percy's expression remained stoic as he looked down at the demigod who years earlier he was foolish enough to consider a friend.

"Of course you could have stopped him. But you were weak. You let him deceive you because he claimed no one loved you. Do you know who did love you? She did." Percy spat pointing at Annabeth. "You promised to be there for her, to be her family and now you are the reason she's dead. You want my sympathy Castellan? Here's the only sympathy you'll get from me." He growled as he raised Riptide up. Hermes cried out to stop Percy and tried to run to his son but Poseidon held him in place so he could only watch in horror as Percy drove his sword through Luke's heart, finishing him off once and for all.

The next hour was a blur. Hermes repeatedly tried to confront Percy but was stopped by Poseidon at every turn. After the gods repaired any damage to their thrones, the council was seated and the surviving demigods, Cyclops and nature spirits were brought into the throne room. Zeus cleared his throat as all eyes turned to him. After a spiel about the bravery of the gods, he decided it was time to thank the demigod heroes who protected Olympus while they gods could not.

Zeus called for Percy's Cyclops half-bother Tyson to come forward. Zeus appointed Tyson a general in the armies of Olympus; the leader of the Cyclops Army in times of war required by the gods. When Zeus offered him a weapon of his choice, Tyson chose a stick. Most chuckled at the request but Percy just stared blankly ahead.

After Tyson, Grover was appointed a new Lord of the Wild and given a place on the Council of Cloven Elders, to which he fainted after being told.

Next was Thalia. She was promised help in filling the Hunter's ranks and was complimented by both her father Zeus and mistress Artemis.

"Percy Jackson!" Poseidon bellowed, as his voice quickly hushed all talking.

Percy walked forward, bowing to Zeus first, before kneeling in front of his father's feet. Everyone stared at Percy who kept his head down, face emotionless.

"Rise, my son." Poseidon said.

Percy rose to his feet, his facial features never wavering.

"A great hero must be rewarded," Poseidon said. "Is there anyone here who would deny that my son is deserving?"

The question was met with silence.

"The council agrees," Zeus said. "Percy Jackson, you will have one gift from the gods."

Percy looked up slowly, "Anything?"

Zeus nodded grimly, "I know what you will ask, the greatest gift of all. Yes, if you want it, it shall be yours. The gods have not bestowed this gift on any mortal hero in many centuries, but, Perseus Jackson—if you wish it—you shall be made a god. You shall serve as your father's lieutenant for all time."

Percy didn't hesitate.

"No."

The council and everyone in the throne room were silent. They all looked at Percy like he had grown a second head.

"No?" Zeus growled. "You are turning down our generous offer?"

Percy nodded, "I am but I would like a gift. Just one gift from all of you and I will never ask you for anything again."

Zeus and the other gods looked at each other strangely before Zeus looked at Percy and nodded, "And what is this wish?"

"Leave me alone. I don't want to be Olympus' savior. I don't want people to know what happened here on Olympus. I don't even want my name mentioned by gods or demigods. Take my powers as a demigod or whatever else you like, just leave me be. I don't want to see any of you again for the rest of my existence." Percy said in a cold tone.

Poseidon looked heartbroken by his son's words, "But why Percy?"

Percy remained expressionless and he spoke, "Since the day I found out I was a demigod, all I've seen is death, pain and misery. I've watched so many good people die; Bianca, Zoë, Michael, Lee, Silena and Beckendorf. I want out. The one thing that made being a demigod worth living was taken from me. Most of you despise me anyway. You think I'm an upstart or arrogant or too powerful. That's fine, maybe I'm all of those things. But then I'll do us both a favor and walk away."

"But you're my son." Poseidon said in a broken tone.

Percy looked into his father's eyes, "Not anymore." He said coldly before turning his back on the gods and walking towards the door of the throne room.

The gods and demigods watched in silence as he reached the doors of the throne room.

"Brother?" Tyson said with a moist eye.

Percy didn't respond. He pushed open the closed and walked out. The sounds the doors closing behind him was the last thing anyone on Olympus heard from Percy Jackson. And it stayed that way until the current day.

(End Flashback)

Zeus and the other gods made no attempts to locate Percy right away. Not until months later when they made the decision to strip mortals of their advancements. Zeus sent the hunters and many gods to locate Percy, deciding he was needed to lead the Olympian Army but all came up blank. No trace of the Percy Jackson existed in the world outside of the stories told within the military demigod camp.

Poseidon grieved for years before he stopped coming up to the world. He remained inside his kingdom, determined to never have a demigod again after he lost the one he had loved the most in his immortal life.

Many thought he would turn up but he never did. It was as if Percy Jackson never existed, exactly how he wanted to be. The gods were forced to forget about him and move forward with their plans.

But he did still exist. Where he was and what he was doing was going to change the world forever and the name Percy Jackson would never be forgotten again. Perhaps just not in the way anyone predicted.


	2. Land Without Laws

Ch. 2

Artemis and her hunters trekked their way through the wilderness of what used to be Montana. This area was still wild and not claimed by any of the kings of the world to be a part of their kingdoms. It was one of the few places where not only monsters roamed freely but also where many of the few remaining free men and women made their homes. It was a place of lawlessness, a place where people watched over themselves and their own and no one else.

It was a place where someone went to go when they wanted to avoid the watchful eyes of the gods or any of the mortal kings ruling North America.

It was just below the reach of the Kingdom of Ice which controlled the vast and untamed lands of what was once Canada and just far enough north of avoid the attention of the Kingdom of the Mountain and the Vale which controlled the central part of the Rocky Mountains and the surrounding lands.

The hunters were in search of a powerful monster rumored to have been seen in the area. A creature more ancient than the gods themselves and one thought to be long since extinct from the world.

Upon hearing about the possible existence of the creature, the goddess of the hunt could not resist the chance to hunt the beast and mount its hide on the wall of her tent as a trophy for all to see.

For days they searched through the thick forests of former Montana as they came across various monsters; Hellhounds, Cyclops and even a Drakon, all of which were slayed by the goddess and her band of immortal maiden huntresses but the beast they sought continued to elude them.

On the seventh day of their search, the hunters were settled down for a meal and short rest when a lightly armored warrior appeared at the edge of their camp.

Two of the lead huntresses on patrol, Phoebe and Thalia, approached the man with bows out and arrows notched.

"It would be wise for you to turn around and leave boy. Mortals are not allowed to witness our hunt." Thalia said sternly hoping to not have to kill another man on their journey.

The man was silent for a moment, his face hidden behind the mask of his helm, leaving only his mouth and jaw visible to the two huntresses.

"I have come with a warning for you and your mistress. The creature you seek is not yours to hunt. It would be wise to leave this place." He said calmly.

Phoebe didn't hesitate to fire an arrow straight it the man's head. To her shock, he calmly turned his head to the side as the arrow missed by only inches. She pulled out her spear and waited for retaliation but the man just remained in his spot.

"A day. You have a day to abandon your hunt or I shall have to take action. This creature is under my protection and I cannot and will not allow it to be hunted by your mistress or anyone else."

Phoebe bristled at the man's words and charged at him. The man pulled out a sword and spun to the side as the huntress' spear was thrust at his head. He smacked the flat of his blade to the back of her knee and he pulled his shield off his back just in time to block an incoming arrow from Thalia.

Before she could recover, the man swung his shield around and smashed it into the side of Phoebe's head before she could rise from a knee.

The huntress fell to the ground in a heap; the ringing in her head was soon replaced by darkness as unconsciousness consumed her.

Thalia lunged at the man, her spear grazing his shoulder but not hard enough to pierce his armor as he stumbled back a step.

She swung her spear at his head but her attack was evaded with a quick dip of his head before he jabbed her in the stomach with his shield.

Thalia growled to herself as he spear crackled with electricity.

"I do not wish to fight you daughter of Zeus. I simply came to warn you of the path you are heading down." The man said calmly but seriously.

"You attacked my sister, you must pay." Thalia snapped back.

The man shook his head, "So be it."

Thalia thrust her spear at his head again before she jumped back and raised her spear to the sky as a bolt of lightning came down and hit her spear before she pointed it at the man and electricity shot forward.

The man dropped into a crouch and took cover behind his shield as it was blasted with lightning. Thalia stopped her attack and looked in shock as the man rose from his crouch unharmed.

"Impossible." She growled.

The man didn't respond. Instead he just took a few steps back.

"Pass my warning on to your mistress. The next time we meet, I will not be so forgiving."

Thalia pulled out her bow as the man walked behind a tree. Thalia ran up to the tree only to find no trace of the man. She looked in the branches of the tree and all around the surrounding area. But the man was simply gone, leaving no trace of him being there other than the unconscious Phoebe who was slowly starting to stir from her spot on the ground.

Line Break

Artemis and her hunters scoured the woods for miles surrounding the fight between her lieutenant, eldest huntress and this unknown man. Rage burned in her silver eyes as she pushed forward, vowing to take her time with the man who dared harm one of her hunters.

As they searched, the goddess came to sudden halt. Her silver eyes scoured the area, the scent of fire reaching her nose. The hunters stood in a ready position behind their mistress, even if they had no idea what it was the goddess had sensed.

Artemis raised her hand to make sure that her maidens remained silent before her bow materialized in her hand as she notched an arrow; her breathing was slow and silent as she stared ahead. Perched on a branch was the entire reason for coming to the area. The beast was small, surely not yet an adult but the goddess knew a beast like this could not be allowed to reach adulthood regardless of the letdown she felt learning her conquest was not what she hoped it would be.

After taking careful aim, she released her arrow as it flew in a flash of silver towards its target. Just as she was about to see the beast fall, a second arrow came from the left and knocked her arrow out of the air.

The goddess was dumbfounded. She doubted even she would be able to make a shot like that. The creature shot into the air with an ear piercing screech before the goddess could notch another arrow.

Her blood boiled as she scanned the area for whoever it was that ruined her shot.

In the distance, a male figure walked into a clearing behind the tree the creature had been perched on. This was not who knocked her arrow out of the air as it had come from the left.

"That's him." Phoebe growled from behind the goddess.

The man was dressed in light armor, including the same helm that shielded his face from the goddess' view.

"Spread out." Artemis ordered. "He is not alone. There is at least one other out here with him."

The hunters stalked off in small groups as they crept through the woods without a sound. Artemis walked forward, hand still clenching her bow as the unknown male walked forward to meet her. When they were ten feet apart, the man stopped.

"I have already told your hunters, the creature is under my protection and I cannot and will not allow you to harm it. It is not a prize for your trophy wall. Leave now before things escalate."

Artemis' blood boiled at being spoken to by a man like that. She kept her expression stoic though, eager to find out who the warrior served so she could punish them as well.

"Whose kingdom do you serve? And what business do you have with the creature?"

The man shook his head, "I serve no one, mortal or immortal."

Artemis narrowed her eyes, "Then what business do you have here? The beast does not concern you."

"My business is my own. I do not need to explain my reasons to you. Leave now before things escalate." Came the calm response from the warrior.

Artemis couldn't stay calm any longer. The man was speaking to her as if she were some mortal woman when she was quite sure he knew exactly who she was.

"You dare threaten an Olympian Goddess? I do not take orders from mortals. You will bow before me and accept your death with honor or you shall be shown your place boy."

The man unsheathed a glistening bronze sword, "I do not take order from gods. Not from beings who think they have the right to take away thousands of years' worth of advances just to ensure they remained powerful. Not from you Artemis, not from your father, not from anyone."

Artemis' eyes widened, "Who are you?" She asked, unsure how a mortal managed to slip through their careful network of altering the minds of all the mortals of the world.

"I am no one. I have no name, I serve no king. I serve no gods. I am simply a man who will never allow himself to be used by a group of arrogant pagan gods again. Put down your bow or you shall regret it quickly." He replied back coldly, the first sign of emotion he had shown in their conversation.

Artemis laughed at his words, "Why would I fear a mere mortal like you, boy?"

The man whistled loudly as rustling could be heard around them. Artemis looked around and growled when she saw every single one of her hunters bound and gagged. They were pushed forward by more warriors, both male and female whose faces were covered by their helms as well.

"You dare to harm my hunters?" The goddess spat at him.

He shook his head, "They have not been harmed. They were disarmed and restrained. Take them and leave this place in peace. This is the final time I will offer it."

Artemis bristled at his threat.

"I will kill you for this." She growled.

The man nodded, "Perhaps, but not today." He replied as the creature appeared in the sky overhead. It soared down and stopped beside them man. He reached over and caressed its head softly.

"How is that even here? Its kind went extinct millennia ago." Artemis asked, her curiosity outweighing her anger for a moment.

The man stroked the creatures head again as it let out a soft growl that Artemis assumed meant it was happy.

"Perhaps here but not everywhere. I believe you know exactly what kind of dragon this is, don't you?"

Artemis narrowed her eyes, "Yes, an ancient breed. They are far more powerful than any dragon that lives today. They breathe fire hotter than any creature on Earth and could burn the world to ashes if there were enough of them."

The man nodded, "Indeed. This is Droco, the last of his kind on this planet. The last true dragon."

"Not for long." Artemis hissed as she notched an arrow. Before she could fire, she was knocked to the ground from behind. She spun around to find a female warrior with long dark braided hair hanging out the back of the helm. Her skin was a coppery color and she gave off an almost apologetic aura as she held a bow with an arrow aimed at the goddess.

"I warned you the dragon was under my protection. By mine, I mean my band of warriors. We cannot allow you to kill it. I ask you once more, leave and we can forget this all." The man said firmly.

"Or what will you do?" Artemis growled from her place on the ground.

"Or this." The man replied coldly as he glanced at the calm dragon beside him. "Dracarys."

The dragon jumped into the air and screeched before unleashing a blast of fire where a few of the goddess' hunters were bound.

"NO!" Artemis screamed as she watched the fire consume the area around her hunters. She could feel the intense heat coming from the area from her place fifteen feet away.

When the fire died out, only a charred piece of earth remained. Artemis felt tears well up in her eyes as she thought about her hunters who died because of her stubbornness.

"That is a warning." The man said as he walked towards the goddess slowly. He whistled again as the hunters thought to have been incinerated her shoved out from behind the tree behind the burned area. "Leave this place. Forget you saw us. We did not come after you, you came after us. The next time you hunt us, I will not warn you with threats, I will kill."

Artemis narrowed her eyes but before she could respond the man drove the hilt of his sword into the back of her head as she dropped flat to the ground unconscious.

-x-

Artemis felt an astounding pain in her head as her eyes fluttered open. She panicked as she looked around at her huntresses laying all around her.

"They are fine milady." Thalia reassured her from where she sat on a stump a few feet away. "They knocked us out, all of us. I was last. They apologized but said they had no choice. They're gone now. I looked around; no traces of their trails. They are skilled in covering their tracks."

Artemis climbed to her feet, the pounding in her head a pleasant reminder of her encounter with whoever that man and his group was.

"What do you want to do milady? Do we hunt?" Thalia asked.

Artemis paused for a moment as she thought about her answer.

"No. We will bide our time. I have no doubt we will cross their paths again but I almost killed a couple of you with my arrogance. I think it best we just forget about it for now. They don't seem like a real threat to anyone. If that changes, so will my orders."

Thalia nodded, a look of relief flashing across her face as she and Artemis started to try and wake up some of their unconscious sisters.


	3. Time for Some Explanations

Ch. 3

The woods were silent other than the crackling of a small fire in the in the otherwise silent forest. Around the fire sat a dozen figures engaging in casual conversations, most about the encounter with the hunters of Artemis earlier in the day. To say the group had been nervous would have been a vast understatement. But their appearances gave no hint of fear during the slight altercation with the immortal maidens and their goddess. That was because their leader had been steadfast in his confidence in their ability to handle the confrontation no matter what situations may have arisen.

Their leader was absent from the late night gathering as he was most evenings, opting to spend his nights in solitude or watching the borders of wherever their nightly campsite happened to be at the time.

Little was known about their leader. The truth was that they had only seen his face a handful of times, the newest members having only seen it on the day of their admission into the little band of outlaws. Their goals were somewhat unclear. Their leader rarely spoke when not spoken to other than to his second in command; a cold and often harsh female who seemed to know the man from the past. But even she seemed to have little notion of what their ragtag group of men and women was striving for.

Survival?

Emancipation of as many slaves as possible?

The answer was unclear. Their commander required no one to stay with him, only that if they did, they served loyally, followed his orders to a T, and they did not worship of any of the gods, something that drove a few prospective members away. But for most it was something they were more than willing to agree to when looking at the less than appealing alternatives.

Look for work where there was usually none inside one of the seven kingdoms in the country?

Trying to survive by hunting their food alone and having no one to watch their backs?

To wander the countryside until forced into slavery in one of the kingdoms stretching across the land?

No, this was by far the best option they had available and they were grateful for the offer.

Regardless of the mystery surrounding their leader, each and every man or woman in their group would follow him into the depths of Tartarus if he commanded them to.

They had to; they all owed him, some more than others. He was their savior; the hero showing up in the nick of time to say their hides or, in some cases, the breaker of chains, liberating them from a life of servitude and abuse from their enslavers. Each and every of the dozen men and women had a different story; a different way they had been pulled from perdition and given a second chance as free men and women. Now their lives might not have been what they imagined when they thought of their dream life but in reality, it was close. They had food, roofs over their heads, freedom and an anomalous family to watch over them.

Unknown to the group, their commander sat on a nearby cliff, watching his group of refugees from a distance; trying to decipher what kind of soldiers he had recruited as well as looking over their camp in case of any danger or attack in the night.

The barely perceptible sounds of footsteps brought his hand to the sword sheathed at his waist before he relaxed as he recognized the sounds of the quiet and graceful approach of his second if command.

He grimaced slightly at the thought of the coming conversation. It had been one year since she joined him and he had limited his answers to her questions up until this point, not an easy thing to get away considering the woman whose questions he was dodging.

He waited in silence as he continued gazing down at the small campsite of his little group. Their group was small, very small; barely big enough to subdue the hunters and only with a surprise attack. They would work for now though. They were relatively well trained by now and were a small enough group to be able to make it across country unnoticed. That was what he needed for now. He knew they wanted answers but were too grateful to him to ask for any. But the problem was he didn't exactly have a plan.

No, he had a basic objective and it was a near impossible task. He had ideas but also doubts surrounding each of those ideas.

The sound of someone clearing their voice finally broke him from his musings.

"Yes Zoë?" He asked stoically.

The longtime, formerly deceased huntress of Artemis eyed him from behind as she tried to think about how to start the conversation. Had this been a decade earlier, she wouldn't have given a second thought to demanding answers to her questions. But this was not a decade earlier. This was not the Percy Jackson, the foolish, brave, and good-hearted hero she had grown to befriend on their quest to rescue Artemis.

No, this was a different Percy Jackson, one of a hardened commander; one who, while she certainly did not fear him, she did tread a bit warily and was patient in her questioning, willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for a while. But a year had passed and now it was time to get the answers she sought.

In the year in his company he had not spoken much of his past after her death. There were no casual conversations; only discussions about their next move. He had been quick to avoid most of the questions she wanted answered and considering who it was that approached her about a second chance at life, she had let the situation pass.

Until now.

"We need to talk Percy. It's been a year and if you want me to follow you further down this road, I need answers." She said firmly.

Percy nodded, "Yes I believe you have waited far longer than you should have had to and for that, I apologize. I will answer your questions. Come and take a seat, I have a feeling this will be a long discussion." He said sitting down on the edge of the cliff with his feet dangling over the edge.

Zoë followed his lead taking a seat beside him before she blurted out the one question that had been nagging at the back of her mind for the past year.

"Why me?"

Percy smiled wryly at the question, the exact one he would be asking if their roles had been reversed. He was surprised it took this long for her to finally outright ask the question he knew must have been driving her crazy.

"Let's start at the beginning so I can better explain my reasoning. In the end, you will understand why I chose you far better than if I tried to answer in a few sentences. Tell me, what were you asked when you were approached and what did they tell you about me?"

Zoë thought back to the moment she made her decision as she recalled her surprise and ultimately her decision to agree.

"Lord Ouranos came to me and told me what the Olympians had done to the world. He said the Primordial Council had chosen one mortal to make a final stand against the gods as the Primordial Gods no longer directly interfered with anything that happened on Earth. He said I was picked by you as the one person to return to life to help you in making his stand. He told me it was you and a little bit about what happened in the war with the Titans. He said you would explain your reasons and what exactly we we're supposed to do." Zoë explained careful not leave out any details.

Percy nodded slowly, "A week before the Titan's attacked Olympus, I had a dream. It was a dream shown to me by Chronus and it showed the world we live in today. He showed me the millions of slaves taken by the mortal kings of the world as well as the life of servitude the gods forced the demigods of the world into. At the end of the dream, Chronus spoke to me. He told me that I was chosen by their council to be the one to stand up to the gods and also how I was to do it. That I had to disown my father and break all ties with Olympus including my demigod powers."

Zoë was a little taken aback, she had no idea he no longer had demigod powers. She listened intently as he took a breath before continuing.

"He told me to tell no one of this and to not make my decision until the end of the war. When I woke from the dream, I had no intention of doing any of that. But after," he swallowed hard to stop his voice from giving away any emotion, "the events in the throne room. I changed my mind. I did as he said. Once I had betrayed and broken the heart of my own father, I walked out of Olympus but the minute the throne room doors closed, I vanished. Next thing I knew, I was in Ancient Macedonia."

Zoë's eyes widened, "What?"

Percy gave a humorless laugh, "Those were my thoughts exactly. Chronus explained I was there to train; to train under Alexander the Great. For the next ten years, I fought with his army, training under him directly. It was not an easy life. In fact, I died three different times. I fell once in battle, died of illness and then infection after I was wounded in battle. Each time Chronus and the other Primordial resurrected me. After that, I jumped through time, training with different world leaders and heroes of the ages; Genghis Khan, the original Perseus, Theseus and a few others. In the end, it was a full century of training before he brought me before the Primordial Council to announce I was ready. They said I could have one companion to help me with my task and to choose wisely as I could not change my mind. I chose you. That is when they presented me with a dragon egg and told me what it was and how much of an asset the creature could be to me in the coming years."

Zoë looked at him incredulously, "But why? Why did you not choose another one of your fallen friends or Annabeth? You could have brought her back and you two could be doing this together."

Percy's face hardened as he glared harshly at the empty air in front of him.

"I would have if Chronus had not showed me Elysium before bringing me in front of the council. I saw Annabeth, I saw her with that traitor Castellan. Hades apparently owed Hermes a favor and let Luke into Elysium despite the fact he almost toppled Olympus. They were happy. I doubt she would have agreed anyway but after seeing that, I knew she was not the right choice."

Zoë looked at him with a bit of sympathy, "I'm sorry for asking."

Percy took a breath and shrugged, "No. You deserve the full truth. I should have explained this to you from the start but I didn't know how to explain what we needed to do, just the two of us."

Zoë nodded in understanding but still needed her question answered.

"I chose you because of all the demigods, gods and mortals I have met in my now long life, you were the best choice by far. Your skills are unmatched with a bow and hunting knives. You're braver than anyone I have met and you're also the most serious person I have met. Even if Annabeth wasn't with Castellan in Elysium, she would not have been the correct choice. I don't need a girlfriend. I need a warrior. I need a leader, someone I can trust and who isn't afraid to do what is necessary given the task we have. I did not bring you back to be my lieutenant or second in command. I need a peer, a true warrior, a co-commander to help me do what we need to do. I should have told you all of this a year ago but I didn't really know how to explain it." He explained as he turned to see Zoë's reaction to his explanation.

Zoë had a very small smile on her face. She couldn't help but feel a little proud Percy thought so highly of her. When she knew him in her previous life, she knew he was a good man; perhaps a little immature and foolish but a pure hearted male. Now though, Percy was a battle hardened warrior. Far more battle hardened than she had imagined but it did help give her a little hope for their near impossible mission.

"No, I can understand your reasons." She explained seriously. "The task given to you is not something easy to deal with. But Percy, we have twelve refugees under us at the moment, how are we ever going to do anything with so few followers? We need more soldiers, a lot more."

Percy gave the first real smile she had seen on his face in the entire year they traveled together.

"What are your feelings about slavery?"

Zoë looked at him incredulously. She was a little confused by his smile.

"I hate it. In fact, I hate everything about this world. All the progress women made in the past two millennia was thrown away with one decision by the gods. Now women are forced into prostitution and other vile acts because of slavery and this primitive world."

Percy's smile grew, "Then we go south my lady. Below the seven kingdoms, in Central America, there is a kingdom where they buy slaves and train them until they are the perfect soldiers. They call them the unsullied and they are supposedly the best soldiers in this world. They are trained and sold out of a vast city called Astapor. I believe we are in the market for an army, are we not?"

Zoë nodded looked confused about how he planned to buy an entire army worth of slaves but before she could ask, Percy shook his head.

"I'll explain my plan on the way. We leave tomorrow. But since I've answered your questions, I believe you should answer mine."

Zoë was surprised but nodded.

"Why did you say yes? When I chose you, I thought you would decline, I simply had to ask. I know you might not have hated me by your death but to come back and join me for this kind of task, I have to admit I was surprised you agreed." He asked curious for her reasons.

Zoë looked slightly uncomfortable. She didn't have a lot of experience speaking to males anything but harshly.

"When I was in the sky, we could watch the world and the things that happened. With the war with the Titans, I watched you and the other demigods a lot. I saw the things you went through; losing friends, dealing with betrayals, bathing in the River Styx and finally your fight with Kronos in the throne room. When I died, I knew you were a good man, one of the few, but after seeing what you went through only to lose everything in the end, the fact that you were still willing to fight for something that mattered, it spoke a lot about who you are." She explained a tad embarrassed. She glanced at Percy to see a small smile on his face before she smirked, "And considering the task, I knew you would fail miserably without a female presence to stop you from being a fool."

Percy let out a small laugh, "There's the man-hater I chose to work with on a daily basis." He said before he smiled genuinely as he realized that was the first time he truly laughed in longer than he could remember.

Zoë noticed his look and raised an eyebrow. Percy just shook his head, "Just thinking, sorry. I know today must not have been easy for you, I am sorry we had to deal with Artemis and the hunters like that."

Zoë frowned a bit, "It's fine. We didn't actually hurt any of them. It was necessary too; whenever we do start this, we will need a powerful creature like Drocco to fight. Artemis simply couldn't resist the chance to hunt something so rare."

Percy nodded but looked wary, "You do know we will meet the hunters again right? I have no wish to harm any of them but you know what we need to do and nothing, not friends or family, comes before our mission."

Zoë's expression became slightly worried before she nodded, "I know. I will do what I have to but I would prefer to harm as few hunters as possible."

Percy gave her a small smile, "You have my word we will do everything we can to prevent them getting hurt. Perhaps we will be able to capture them and Artemis and keep them from fighting us."

Zoë nodded but didn't look overly optimistic. Percy put a hand on her shoulder, careful not to leave it there for too long.

"We should rest. Tomorrow we head south and I want to be a full strength as I have no doubts we will meet some challenges along the way."

Zoë nodded and stood up offering Percy a hand which he gladly took.

"Thank you for explaining things more clearly for me. I will have your back to the end no matter where this road takes us."

Percy smiled, "As I will yours. Get some rest old friend, our long road begins tomorrow."


	4. Pitstop in Highgarden

Ch. 4

The sun was glaring down hard from the early afternoon sky, almost as if it knew what Percy Jackson was up to and was trying to shine its disapproval down upon him. Perhaps this was true; if Apollo knew what he was doing, he and the other gods would likely send more than a scorching sun to stop him before he could get started.

He sat upon his steed deep in thought. He was making his way south as they headed for the distant city of Astapor where he was going to try and do something he had no idea if they could pull off. Sure he had freed a half-dozen slaves but they had been alone with only their owners when Percy had come across them. Now he was going to try to retrieve several thousand with little more than his wits and perhaps a trick or two up his sleeve. His confidence was not at its peak to say the least.

He glanced to his right where the only other person on horseback rode beside him; the only person who knew about his past, Zoë Nightshade.

He felt more confident after they had spoken a couple days earlier. It was better now that things were explained between them and no more mysteries or secrets kept them distant from each other. The truth was that without Zoë he doubted he would be making much progress in his mission at all. She had an aura about her, a confidence that came with being a successful leader for thousands of years. It was contagious and helped steel his own resolve. It was comforting to know he was not alone in this and he could count on her to watch his back. They had a long way to go and the road would be the hardest he'd ever travelled but having Zoë there to shoulder some of the burden was a much needed relief.

Zoë's horse came to a sudden halt before Percy pulled back the reins on his and looked at her in confusion. Her eyes were narrowed as she gazed further through the woods.

"We're going to have company, about ten to fifteen it looks like." She whispered over to him.

Percy eyes nodded as he raised his hand to his small band of fighters behind him. They were all on foot, as the only other horse was pulling a carriage that contained Drocco who was silent, for the time being.

Percy turned around and held up three fingers before he pointed first to the left and then to the right. Six of his companions instantly slipped into the woods without a word while the rest stood by silently, each with a weapon close at hand.

"They spotted us." Zoë hissed as Percy turned around and he and Zoë rode up a few feet to put a little distance between them and the six others who stood by the carriage ready to defend it with their life.

Three armored horsemen rode up with a dozen men trailing in their wake, all armed and looking at Percy's group with suspicion.

"Identify yourselves, this road is controlled by Lord Mace of the House Tyrell." One of the horsemen demanded as he sat atop his steed.

Percy looked up, his face shielded from sight behind his helm.

"We are simply merchants travelling to Highgarden in search of trade."

The lead soldier eyes him suspiciously, "What is your name and what are you hoping to sell in Highgarden?"

"We have game hunted from the north that we have brought from the Kingdom of Ice." Percy answered calmly.

"And your name?" The guard growled getting frustrated.

"My name is no business of anyone's but my own. We are no threat to the Kingdom of the Reach and are simply passing through before continuing south." Percy answered still calm and confident.

The leader glared at him for a moment before turning to a few of his men, "Go inspect their cargo."

Four of the soldiers made their way forward, marching past where Percy and Zoë sat on their horses. Zoë glanced at Percy whose head nodded just noticeably.

"It would have been best if you just let us pass." He muttered before he unsheathed his blade and lopped off the head of one of the soldiers before anyone could react.

Before the rest of the soldiers of the Reach could recognize what was happening, arrows flew in from both sides of the woods slaying most of the foot soldiers before they could even draw their swords. Zoë pulled her bow off her back and had dropped two of the mounted soldiers before she was knocked from her horse from behind.

Percy jumped off his mount and blocked a sword aimed at her head as she landed hard of the ground.

The soldier tried to push forward before Percy let his sword slip him his grasp, making the soldier stumble only to be grabbed by the hair and pulled back where a dagger was driven into his spine.

He spun around and ducked as the leader charged at him from atop his horse. He turned to attack again but was met with an arrow between the eyes as Zoë stood behind Percy.

After the small skirmish, only two of the enemy soldiers were all that were left as they were held at sword point by Percy's men.

"Please, have mercy my lord." One of the soldiers pleaded.

Percy picked his sword from ground as he walked over to the injured men who were kneeling on the ground looking terrified.

"I truly regret this but letting you live is a risk I cannot take. May you find peace in the afterlife." He said solemnly before he raised his blade and brought it down in a deadly arc on the soldier's neck.

The other soldier tried to scramble away but was held in place by Percy's men. He turned to the last soldier sadly before nodding to one of his men who came up behind and slit the soldier's throat in one swift motion.

"Dig a big hole. Strip them of anything valuable and bury them. Do it quickly, we should not linger here long." Percy said sternly as his soldiers quickly set to work.

He turned to Zoë who stood beside her horse and gestured to her saddlebag. She nodded in understanding and pulled out one of the dead rabbits she had hunted earlier in the day and tossed it to him.

Percy made his way to the carriage and opened up the back where the three foot dragon squawked at the sight of him. He smiled a bit and tossed the rabbit in. The dragon blasted the dead animal with fire before munching it down in one toasty bite. Percy reached his hand in and pet the dragon's head as it growled contentedly before lying back in his cage.

Percy closed the door to the gate and walked over to where a couple of his men were digging. He grabbed a shovel and helped hoping to speed the process up a bit.

It took about a half hour to bury the dozen soldiers and strip them of weapons and valuables. The biggest spoil of the skirmish were the three horses they now had which were gladly being ridden by a few of the soldiers who had been on foot for the past few days.

Percy took his place at the front beside Zoë as they led their group through the forest trail. Zoë watched Percy out of the corner of her eye. She was surprised he had no shown any mercy to the wounded soldiers. In reality it was their only option considering the men could have alerted Highgarden of their existence which would have forced them to flee, likely losing some of their companions in the process. What it did show her was that Percy was not the Percy Jackson she once knew. He knew what needed to be done and wouldn't hesitate to do it. The knowledge both comforted and worried the former huntress. She hoped that the Percy Jackson she once knew was still in there but being restrained by the battle hardened commander that she had come to know for the past year.

Only time would tell and she doubted she would learn anytime soon.

Their group travelled a few more hours before stopping in a dense part of the forest.

"Make camp here for the night. We continue south at first light." Percy said as his companions set off to work making camp.

Percy got off his horse and approached one of his men.

"Adrix." Percy said garnering the man's attention.

"Sir," he said back respectfully.

"You will be in charge of the men. Zoë and I will be going to Highgarden for a while. It gives us an opportunity to pick up some supplies and maybe some information on what to expect heading south." Percy informed the man.

"Yes Percy, I will set up a patrol for the borders of the camp until your return." Adrix said back with a small smile at being put in command.

Percy nodded, "Good. We will return sometime before dawn, hopefully earlier." He said making his way over to Zoë who had started to unload her horse.

"We're leaving Zoë. We need supplies in town."

Zoë raised an eyebrow, "We both need to go?"

Percy frowned, "We don't but I would prefer company. And I would also prefer someone I know well to watch my back in the city. The gods could be anywhere and I believe your stealth skills will be an asset in the case we run into one of them."

Zoë nodded her head stiffly before she smirked slightly, "It would not be wise to let a man walk into the city alone with an intelligent woman to watch his back."

Percy just nodded his head, "We leave in thirty minutes." He said before walking away leaving Zoë frowning a bit at his non-response her to playful jab.

-x-

Percy and Zoë walked through the city, the Castle of Highgarden loomed in the distance as they made sure to keep their heads down.

"So where exactly are we going?" Zoë asked looking around curiously.

"Where do people do the majority of talking, more than they should?" Percy asked back as he peaked down a side alley.

Zoë looked at him confused making Percy shake his head, "The bar."

Zoë's eyes widened as she mentally face palmed. Percy nudged her arm as they turned and walked inside a small building, behind the door was a decent sized establishment full of patrons, many of which had already had their fills and were drinking themselves silly. They found themselves a table and settled down with a drink as they both carefully gazed around the room looking for anyone who could become a threat.

As Zoë gazed around she stopped as she heard Percy trying to contain his laughter. She looked at him confused, "What?"

He shook his head, "Nothing," he said trying to control himself, "it's just never in my life did I think I would be sitting at a bar with Zoë Nightshade having a drink."

Zoë narrowed her eyes at him but couldn't help but crack a small smile as she thought about it as well.

"Well the world did get turned upside by those stupid gods, strange things were bound to happen."

Percy nodded and took a drink from his pint of ale, "Actually, this is not that bad. I suppose if there was one thing mankind always knew how to do it was get drunk."

Zoë smiled and was about to respond when a burly looking soldier stumbled into their table with a big smile on his face.

"You have got to be the most beautiful piece of ass I've seen in months." He said gawking at Zoë.

Percy watched Zoë's face redden before he caught her gaze and shook his head just noticeably.

Zoë took a breath to calm herself before looking at the man with distaste, "And you might possibly be one of the ugliest. Why don't you just go back to your ale before you embarrass yourself."

The soldier frowned, "Come on baby, don't tell me you want to stay with that shrimp," he said sloppily pointing in Percy's direction.

Zoë glanced at Percy who hadn't moved an inch, he was busy watching the people behind the man more than the man himself.

The soldier tried to grab Zoë's hand but she swatted his away, "I said no." She growled.

"Look at your man, not even willing to protect his lady, why don't you get to know a real man." He slurred looking at Percy distastefully.

Percy had a slight smirk tugging at his lips, "I would recommend walking away." He warned the soldier.

"Oh really? Are you going to make me?" The soldier snapped standing up straight expecting Percy to do the same. Instead Percy just grinned, "No, but she will."

He turned to Zoë about to laugh when his face when slack. He looked down to see a dagger through his pants with the blade resting below his family jewels.

"Walk away before you leave with a few less things than you came here with." Zoë growled at the now pale man.

Before he could respond, a second soldier walked up behind him and tossed him backwards where he ungracefully crashed onto the floor. He staggered to his feet and froze when he laid eyes on his new attacker.

"My lord, my apologies." The soldier said fearfully.

"Go home now and I will forget your embarrassment tonight." The new soldier growled.

The drunk nodded quickly and staggered his way out the door as Percy kept a hand on his sword and waited for this new soldier to speak.

"My apologies for him, his respect must have gotten lost a couple of drinks ago." The soldier said looking Percy and Zoë curiously.

Percy gave a nod, "Not a problem, we've all had those nights where we've had a little more than we should."

The soldier nodded and extended his hand, "I am Loras, son of Mace and commander of his armies. And you?"

Percy smiled and shook his hand, "I am Ajax, son of Achilles and this is my sister, Diana."

Loras nodded, "And where is it you hail from?"

Percy smiled, "We are travelers but we originate from a small village outside the Kingdom of Ice in the north. We were passing through and could not miss the chance to visit the capital of the Kingdom of the Reach. We meant to cause no trouble."

Loras shook his head, "Please Ajax, no need. My soldier was out of line. He simply saw a beautiful girl and lost his senses."

Loras turned to Zoë, "My apologies Diana. I promise you he shall be punished for his disrespect towards a lady."

Zoë gave him a small smile, "No need my lord."

Loras smiled and grabbed a chair pulling it up to their table, "So, travelers, huh? Where is it you are heading for?"

"We are heading south visit the city of Astapor where our cousin is living. Merely a friendly visit before returning home." Percy said confidently.

Zoë was a bit in awe of the confidence and sincerity in which Percy spoke. His words were so sure that had she not known the truth she would not have doubted them herself.

"Astapor?" Loras asked. "That is a distant land indeed. How is it that your cousin ended up so far from her home?"

"She fell in love with a merchant who visited our kingdom. They just had a child and Diana and I thought it proper to visit them to offer our congratulations." Percy answered surely.

Loras nodded as he looked at Percy, "Travel carefully, there are bandits and outlaws roaming the lands between here and Astapor. If they capture you they will enslave both you and your sister."

Percy smiled, "We may not be lords but we have learned how to defend ourselves. Should we come across them I promise the only thing they will capture is a quick taste of my blade when I slid it across their throats."

Loras grinned at Percy, "A warrior you say? I have nothing but respect for those who are brave enough to travel the lawless lands with only their sister." He said before he dropped a few coins on the table. "For the disrespect of my soldier, let me pay for your drinks."

"That is generous of you Lord Loras. Should we ever cross paths again I will be certain to return the favor." Percy said as he extended his hand again which Loras shook as he stood up.

"And goodnight to you my lady." Loras said dipping his head to Zoë a bit before walking away.

Once the heir to Highgarden was gone Zoë leaned over and jabbed Percy in the ribs.

"Um, ouch… What was that for?"

Zoë rolled her eyes, "Your sister?"

Percy raised an eyebrow, "Would you have preferred lover? This isn't the modern age anymore Zoë, I needed a believable story for why we are travelling together."

Zoë glared at him for the lover comment and tried not to blush and she looked away slightly embarrassed.

"I guess that makes sense, though some warning would have been nice."

Percy shrugged, "You're intelligent, I knew you'd catch on."

"Surprised you came up with a backstory so quickly, I guess you're a little quicker than when we first traveled together."

Percy raised his cup as he finished his pint in one long drink.

"That child you traveled across the country with died during the first couple years travelling through the ages training. I was a foolish naïve child, a mistake I will never make again." He said as he set his glass down and threw the hood of his cloak up. He tossed a few coins on the table and gestured with his head towards the door, "We still need to grab a few things in the city and I think we've drawn more attention than necessary for one evening." He said walking towards the door.

Zoë frowned and stood up wondering if the new Percy was going to be a good or bad thing when it came to their mission and their future on the difficult road they had to travel.


End file.
